Akin to some of my other blogs I’ve written which allude to a recently discovered pastime, this one is no different. Essential ingredients typically include: 1 x SLR camera, a dash of mystery, a sense of adventure, and a venue that is either abandoned and derelict above ground, or underground where only a handful of people have visited. Today’s main ingredient; butter! Well what’s left of one, a factory that is! This was one of those recipes that when you start out in the kitchen with the idea of a fried egg you end up making an omelette and an English breakfast.
I was travelling north of Brisbane for work, and had planned on having an early night beforehand so that I could wake up even earlier and attempt some star trails before arriving at my actual destination (rural areas away from the city are the best for star trails, but I’ll save that for another blog). I misjudged sunrise and the amount of driving that I needed to get to work on time. The sun was coming up; I’d missed my chance for any star trails. Instead of sunrise photographs (I was an hour early to work and needed some form of motivation for the early rise), I remembered reading about a Butter Factory earlier in the week. It was as though I was meant to visit it instead. I recalled the Butter Factory at the precise time it was neccessary to; within 10 seconds the turn off for it along the highway was right in front of me. I made a swift detour from my normal work route, and headed toward my new destination, my english breakfast. I knew the town, but didn’t know its precise location. I eventually found it tucked away in a side street having stopped and asked a couple of locals for directions (I may be male, but I don’t care to ask for directions if I am able to arrive at my destination).
I drove in down the driveway, passed a few gated barriers with ease, parked my car and strolled right in. It may have been due to it being a rural town, but the security measures were scarce to none. I was pleasantly surprised in fact. I didn’t have long as I was due to be at work 40 minutes later and still had 30 minutes of driving ahead of me, but I did manage to enjoy all the graffiti, spider webs and rusty metal and get a few photos:
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